Ottawa, November 6 (Prensa Latina) Veterinarians in Canada reported today that they are working around the clock in extreme exhaustion due to staff shortages, a growing number of animal patients and work stress.
The increased workload that requires around-the-clock emergency care in many rural areas is causing severe stress and burnout, Neil Pothier, director of a veterinary clinic in Digby, told CTV News.
“People are just at a point where they don’t know what to do. And in our profession, there is already a high suicide rate in the country, which is frightening,” he told the media.
Pothier, who has lost several colleagues to suicide, said the mental health of veterinary professionals has been affected by a pandemic surge in pet numbers and a shortage of technologists, technicians and veterinarians available to do the work.
Data from a 2020 survey suggests that veterinarians in Canada are much more likely to consider suicide than the average citizen.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, found that 26.2 percent of 1,403 veterinarians surveyed had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, Trevor Lawson, president of the Veterinary Medical Association, pointed out that euthanasia of animals has a major impact on the mental health of staff, who often form long-term bonds with the pets they care for and their owners.
Additionally, Jewett said an additional stressor is the “morale crisis” that comes with the financial realities of running a veterinary clinic and having to pay clients.
“If the client doesn’t have the financial resources to pay for this (treatment), it’s a very terrible feeling for the veterinarians and staff,” he explained.
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